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Times-Advocate, 1982-04-28, Page 14Ms TA Times -Advocate; April 26, 19$2 Sports livaiSpotlight • By Ross Haugh • Year of upsets Upsets are what keep interest high in most sports and this year's Stanley Cup playoffs are no exception. Who would have guessed or even dare predict that the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars and Mon- treal Canadians would be three of the first clubs to be eliminated when the 16 team playoff rounds get underway. Also, the Winnipeg Jets who were transformed this year from an also-ran to a more than respectable club were quickly sidelined. Doing these almost shocking chores were the upstart Quebec Nordique, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues. , It just goes to show that any team in big league hockey can beat another on any given night and as'far as the Montreal, Edmonton and Winnipeg teams were concerned there were too many given nights. ` - It's probably one of the better things to happen 'to the NHL in a long, long time. What has happened in the past to teams which finished high in the league standings? Inthe pre -expansion years between 1926 when the NHL began to compete for the Stanley Cup and 1967 only 19 times did the club with the most points during the regular season also win Lord Stanley's battered mug. If the New York Islanders should win the Stanley Cup this year and don't bet too much money on that they would become only the 20th team in NHL history to win the regular season championship and the Stanley Cup. • History would indicate that th• e regular seasonhas never meant much once the playoffs begin. There are some people in Montreal, Edmonton and Minnesota who would claim that is unfair for teams that worked hard all season only to be eliminated in a short playoff series by teams that finished well below them in the standings. But, all three teams coasted to first place finished in their respective divisions and were able to rest key players in the final stages of the season rather than at- tempting to maintain a high intensity which is necessary in a short playoff series. Despite one's loyalties it cannot be argued that we have been provided with some very exciting hockey in the first two rounds of Stanley Cup playoffs. After all, you must admit it does beat watching Pal Hal's boys in blue. On the same subject, the Lucan Irish proved that playoffs are far more important than finishing in first place in the regular season standings. It's history now, but, the Irish compiled a tremen- dous playoff record after finishing in third place in the OHA Junior "Dr north grouping of the western division. The Lucan youngsters should be in contention again next year as coach Dave Revin§ton should have all but three of his championship team'back for another try when training camp starts this fall. '. , ' All Revington loses are the Hartwick twins and spare goalie Ed Dobinson. Saying all he will loSe are these three is a lot more than may seem. • Kevin Hartwick was the key to the strong Irish defensive corps. After a couple of trips over the Lucan blue line, opposing forwards learned to keep their heads up and most slowed when the big fellow loomed in their path. • So it appears the big needs are probably two strong defencemen so Paul Wraith canplay regularly on the forward lines instead of falling back on the defence a lot of the time. We learned of two poems written by a couple of youthful supporters of the Irish and they appear elsewhere on these pages. To Helen and Karen, we just happened to find them blowing down the street. Sports shorts Since Chet Lemon has been traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Detroit Tigers, Chicago pit- cher Steve Trout will probably perform poorly. Everyone knows that trout has never been very good without a lemon. Enos Cabell's second home run of the\ young baseball season for the Tigers was also only the second for the entire team in their first nine games. Cabell who came t� the Tigers from San Francisco in a trade for Champ Summers is off to a flying start using a bat borrowed from team-mate Kirk Gibson. It would make one wonder what bat Gibson was us- ing because at the time Cabell was batting over .400 Gib - son's average was less than .100. In the last couple of games Gibson has bounced back. With close to 600 players participating in major league baseball. Sports Illustrated. Inside Sports and the Sporting News all had the same player on the cover of their pre -season baseball issues. However. Steve Garvey failed to make it to the covers of Playboy or Field and Stream magazines. In the 1955-56 season the National Basketball Association teams consisted of only seven percent black players while currently the number of black players in the NBA has risen to 74 percent. In the 1956 NBA All Star game only 1 out of 20 players was black while in this seasons An Star game there were 21 black players of the 24 who played. The salaries of professional athletes have soared particularily those of the NBA. The average players salaries are as follows: NBA - $214.500. Major League Baseball - 6185,652, NHL , $106,000 and NFL - $90,102. ONTARIO CHAMPIONS — The Lucan Irish are 1981-82 Ontario Hockey Association Junior "D" champions and are shown above. Back, left, Art Gregory, Randy'Turner, captain Paul Wraith, Jamie Shipley, Allister Craig, Jeff Shipley, Steve Thompson, Doug Latta, John.Medd, Randy Turner and Jerry Emery. Centre, trainer Barry Abh Smiling Irish When Irish eyes are smiling Sure it's like a morn in Spring For miles around the country You can hear 'the Irish sing - Hats go off to the Irish They are Ontario's best And now that hockey's over They all deserve a rest - The,"underdogs" they were called Thepapers were all wrong The green machine turned on its guns And now the "Birds" are on their buns! Oh - When Irish eyes are smiling And Lucan goes stark mad A party now will sure be planned For the best win they've ever had - Ontario Champions they are called No one can deny that name For Lucan Irish hockey team Will now go down in farhre! Hats go off to the Irish They are Ontario's best And now that hockey's over They all deserve a rest! Helen Hartwick Hodgins, Wally Hartman, Dean Scott, Keith Hartwick, Todd Charlton, Kevin Hartwick, Steve Glenn, Geoff Edwards, John Moon, trainer Jim Hearn and Moe Buck. Front, Brod Milner, OHA contact man Jim Freeman, coach Dave Revington, manager Bob Taylor, Dan $celi, treasurer Claire Stanley, Ken Eaton, Charlie Glenn and Ed Dobinson, ani wax poetic Green takes all Irish! , Irish i, Hear us roar Down the roads and in their door We did beat them, we did win, Then with Tavistock, we'd begin. Tavistock, Tavistock was real tough but we gave them the same stuff. We did beat them, we did win Then with Mitchell we'd begin Mitchell, Kitchell was a drag, We had four games in the bag. We did shootand score to win Then with Stayner we'd begin. Stayner, Stayner, we then met Would we beat them, was the bet. We did beat them, we did win Then with Langton we'd begin. With the smell of victory in the air, We knew we'd beat them fair and square. We soon put the Langton's down, And the IRISH wore the CROWN. Karen Taylor - SOCCER REGISTRATION — Registration for the summer season for the Exeter Minor Soccer Association was completed Saturday. Signing in with officials Peter McFaIIs and Nancy Quinn are Allan McFalls, Jamie van Dam, Shawn McFalls, Jason McFalls, Jamie Bedard and Tim van Dam. photo Sign up May 3 T -A Ball teams begin practices on weekend Teams from the Exeter Minor Baseball Association will be beginning their practice sessions this weekend. The pee wees will initiate the practice season with a workout Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with managers Bob and Lorna Russell in charge. Their number is 235-2285. Manager Don Keeping has called practices for his bantam team at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening and 10 a.m. Saturday. He may be reached at 235-0966. The juveniles and juniors will start practicing at 12 noon Saturday and continue with a workout at 11 a.m. Sunday. Casey Cook at 235- 0482 is the juveniles manager and Brad Gregus will handle the juniors_ His number is 235-2932. Manager Bruce Shaw at 235-0208 has called a midget practice for 3 p.m. Saturday and the senior will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday. The manager is Wally Webster at 235-0527. Would-be umpires are reminded of the umpiring clinic to be held May 15 at the South Huron Rec Centre. They are asked to sign up in advance. This would be an excellent opportunity for young men to make a little extra spending money this summer and for players in the rec softball league to be of assistance to minor baseball. Any further information may be obtained from Brad Gregus. Plans are underway to organize a South Huron Minor Baseball Association to facilitate tyke, pee wee and bantam teams. The purpose of this league would be to help towns and villages in South Huron get back into baseball in a low cost. minimum mileage league.. Exeter minor baseball will be hosting tournaments in these divisions and area teams would receive free entry fees. Carded umpires would not be necessary for league play. .A players clinic is being planned (or a Saturday in June to help young players develop and understanding of the fundamentals of the game. , Anyone interested in this • 404 Erie St. Stratford. Phone 273-0976 .a. CREOHTON RAU, REGISTRATION — John Gollen signs in with Sharon Glonvill and Tommy. Bibby at Saturday's registration for the Crediton Minor Baseball Association. rr .00 proposed league should contact Brad Gregus., Willow Wiper breaks record Area harness race horses continue to turn in excellent performances wherever they go. The latest pacer to turn in a great effort Is Willow Wiper, a four year-old owned by Bob Hamather of Zurich. A week ago at Batavia Down in New York State, Willow Wiper won a 640,000 leg of the Graduate series in a time of 1.57.9, the fastest mark over a half mile track this year. Dqring the winter months at Greenwood, Willow Wiper won all legs of a series and with the latest win at Batavia qualifies for the Graduate final to be held this summer at . the Meadowlands in New Jersey for a total purse of $125,000. Willow Wiper purchased by Hamather for $45,000 amassed earnings of $47,500 in 1981 and this year so far has won purses of $105,000. Middegaal V001113 Sales, Service Chemicals, Accessories WHIRLPOOLS & PATIO FURNITURE John Middegaal• 527-0104 234 Main St., Seatorth 000PS... DAYS TO FILE MT VON CAN STILL MAIN IT MITN Nit R.aocIL April 30th is lust days away. But we can still prepare your double- checked, guaranteed income tax return in. time. Our team of income tax specialists is standing by. We can help, so you'll pay no more tax than you absolutely have to. But we can only help you if you come in soon. Mon., Wed., Thurs. Fri. 9-5 Tues. and Sat. 9-4 HIR BLACK THE INCOME TAX aRECtAUSTs 429 Main St. Exeter Phone 235-1901 Remember Us? 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